Blizzak ws70 all over the place

[robr]

I recently replaced my ws50s with ws70 on the rear of my m3. The car is all over the place now. If I'm taking a 270 degree Highway ramp, the traction control is constant on and off at anything over 40 mph and the car is squirrely even switching lanes. I don't feel safe going much over 70 in a straight line.

Tire pressure is fine, they are mounted in the correct rotational direction. Balance seems fine, no vibration. Alignment is fine.

I have about 100 miles on the tires. Is there a break in period for these things?

 

[imflipside]

We put 4 Blizzak WS80's on our Volvo C30 and they've been great - no break in period to speak of.

I'm curious why you're mixing WS50s on the front with WS70s on the back - I use the same tires on all four corners even if I have to replace usable tires before they wear out to ensure they're all the same. Different tires might affect vehicle dynamics in an emergency so it doesn't seem worth it to to me to mix them. I don't know if this would cause the behaviour you're seeing.

 

[docjohn]

what is a fine pressure and who bolted the wheels on and what torque?

 

[robr]

Local bmw specialty shop. I'll check the pressure when it stops raining but tire pressure sensor isn't complaining. No idea what torque. Ws50s on the front are almost new, not tossing those. While there can be differences from front to rear because of the different tires, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't feel anything like what I'm experiencing.

 

[docjohn]

very high pressure can give a nervous feel just like under inflation.

 

[nsxtasy]

What's the temperature outside? Remember, winter tires can seem sloppy when you get the occasional winter day that's significantly above freezing.

How worn are your two current tires? If they're worn down, that can cause odd handling, too.

Also remember, the "studless snow and ice" winter tires (like the WS-50/WS-70) won't handle as well as "performance" winter tires (but in exchange, they do better on snow and ice). If you're looking for better handling at highway speeds when the roads are dry, consider the latter type of winter tire. (But in that case, I wouldn't mix them with two "studless" tires.)

BTW, no problem mixing the WS-50 with their successor, the WS-70. Both are designed for maximum traction in harsh winter conditions.

 

[gleibig]

What features makes them better in snow?

 

[BATMANs]

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I have them for the truck and GTO. Works fine for me going to and around in Tahoe during ski seasons.

 

[nsxtasy]

What features makes them better in snow?

They have a multicell compound (for the outer 55 percent of the tread) which acts like a sponge to soak up moisture and help grip on snow and ice (when the friction of the tires melts the surface of the snow and ice). The tread pattern also has lots of sipes (thin slits with lots of edges) to help traction. You can read more about them on the Tire Rack website or the Bridgestone website; click here for a link to Tire Rack's web page for the WS-80, their newest iteration.

 

[CL65 Captain]

I have about 100 miles on the tires. Is there a break in period for these things?

Give it some time. I have noticed with some tires that due to the mold release agents they are extremely loose to the point where I thought there must be something wrong. It felt like the alignment was out of whack, they just felt mushy, slippery almost like I was driving on ice. 300 miles later they were fine.

 

[docjohn]

holy sh%t where the hell has the captain been...

 

[robr]

Thanks all and CL65, missed you! And keNSaX too!! I'll check the tire pressure if it ever stops raining here and will put some more miles on them before I worry too much.

 

[robr]

Docjohn gets the tentative prize, they were all at 40psi. Dropped the rears to 36 and the fronts to 32 and while it's not amazing it does seem much better. I don't put a lot of miles on the car so will take a little time to get a few hundred miles on the tires.

 

[docjohn]

yea for me......maybe this makes up for me thinking that oil got hotter before coolant:wink:...

 

[nsxtasy]

yea for me......maybe this makes up for me thinking that oil got hotter before coolant:wink:...

Yeah, but I'm still waiting for an opportunity to redeem myself...

 

[Ritesh]

Thanks all and CL65, missed you! And keNSaX too!! I'll check the tire pressure if it ever stops raining here and will put some more miles on them before I worry too much.

Funny Thread. Yup just drive and work on your drifting skills!

 

[Vega$ NSX]

holy sh%t where the hell has the captain been...

We've been hanging out. :wink:

 

[docjohn]

what the......Vegas hangin with the capt....in a G4.....